


Trouble in Paradise

by Lulu28816



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: M/M, Season 13 fix-it, dumb boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-18
Updated: 2016-11-18
Packaged: 2018-08-31 18:13:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8588686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lulu28816/pseuds/Lulu28816
Summary: Tucker confronts Washington about his hero complex during a little down time.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So hey guys! I actually wrote this as an assignment for school a couple years ago and have been agonizing over it for just as long. I'm still not entirely happy with it but I thought it might be time to post it now. I'll let you get to it now.
> 
> Edit: fixed the format.

Fuck Washington. Fuck him and his perfect hair. His perfect smile. His perfect laugh. His perfect freckles. His perfect eyes. His perfect everything. Just fuck Agent Washington.

 _Ha, I wish. Bow chicka bow wow._ Tucker thought to himself bitterly as he made his way through some of the supplies scattered around the smaller of two research complexes near Carolina's camp. They wouldn't be in this mess at all if it weren't for her or Church or the Director. Heck! If he had just stayed in that fucking canyon with Donut and Doc he wouldn't even be here. But, that would involve leaving behind blue team, or what's left of it, and like hell he's doing that. And now they're stuck on this rock of a planet at the literal edge of civilized space in the middle of a fucking civil war.

Not only that, but now he has to help look for the future cubes because Caboose was "cleaning up" and Grif needs them to tell Carolina about his theory, about their connection to the gun that they took from the space pirates. Well, at least nothing has exploded yet. His temper might though, what with fucking Washington and his fucking self sacrificing.

_Felix shoves him into the caves before turning around to check on his men, the New Republic. Shots soar through the air like fireworks on the Fourth of July. Federal soldiers stationed at the mouth of the canyon are busy slaughtering their reinforcements. Thankfully, they're giving back as good as they get. Weapon crates and makeshift walls mark the refuge of few and gravestone of many._

_They might have stood a chance had Locus, the Federal gun for hire, not entered the fray. With his cloaking device he takes the New Republic out in throes. His counterpart Felix does his best to seal their escape route but at this rate it was hopeless._

_On the front lines, Washington is recovering from the stun gun to the back and is soon on his feet. It only takes a few moments for him to take in the devastation around him. One of their own go down with every shot fired (there's only eleven, they're not gonna make it) and at least half of the Red and Blue collective have already gone down. Tucker who had been watching him closely, willing him to get up, feels hope rise in his chest at the sight._

_"Wait guys! There he is!" Relief permeates his every word. "Wash! Wash come on!" He's certain that if they can just get Wash out of there, everything will work out. Then they can get Sarge, Lopez, and Donut back with ease because Washington will be leading the charge. Red team won't be without their leader, mechanic, and resident flamboyant for long. They could even find the missing medic, so long as they have Washington. If only he'd stop just standing there and run._

_He wonders if maybe Washington can't._

_He doesn't get a chance to find out. Washington turns to Freckles, and does what he does best; He gives an order._

_"Freckles, shake." The flames licking the droid's sensitive wiring means nothing as it does what it was built to do; obey. One of its long Mantis like legs reaches out and hits the ground with the sound of rolling thunder, the impact reverberating throughout the entire canyon. The move causes major damage to Freckles, it's hip joints sparking around like lightning in the storm before it falls into a heap of scorched wires and bullet riddled metal. Washington, unbeknownst to Tucker, also falls when the blast hit. He too, does not rise again._

_"Hey! No! What are you doing?!" He is immediately blinded by falling rubble and all consuming terror. Wash! Wash no! Not him too! This is all he can think as the cave above him collapses. He is paralyzed by the thought of losing another close friend, another tally on the list of people he couldn't save. Thankfully, as the rocks bury him, he is welcomed with open arms into the sweet oblivion as darkness takes him._

_Had only the New Republic left him there, perhaps he could have found peace._

Yeah, fuck him.

"Hey Caboose, when you say you put them away, where exactly would that be?"

"Uh, I forget. Maybe Church knows! I'll go get him!"

"Yeah, okay. Whatever." And with that Tucker went back to looking while Caboose went to find Church. Poor kid fell apart when he left with Carolina without so much as a goodbye. Fell hard into depression, it was actually really disconcerting at first to see the usually rambunctious soldier (child more like) become quiet and recluse. Not even finding Freckles and claiming it as his new pet could bring him back all of the way. Now Church is returned and Caboose is acting like he never left. Well at least something good came from this, even if Tucker is still royally pissed at Church.

In all honesty, Tucker was relieved that Church and Carolina were okay. Yeah, he was mad they didn't say goodbye before leaving on their secret freelancer stuff, but he's glad that they're okay. Same goes for Washington, and despite all that the director did to him, to them, he seemed to have recovered some more of himself in their absence.

The Freelancer Project messed up everything and everyone it touched. What started out as something intended to finally put an end to the war against the aliens turned out to be so much more and less than that. Instead of helping people all it did was hurt them. Science became torture and healthy competition turned to cutthroat survival. At the center of it all stood the Director, a broken man bent on bringing back someone who could never come back.

Washington and Carolina were part of the Alpha team, they got the best equipment, the best missions, the best facilities, and the best survival rate. All of that and still, no one was ready for the shitstorm that was the fall of the project.

He doesn't know the details, or hell, even most of the big picture, but Tucker knows one thing for sure, no one came out of it okay. Washington had an AI fracture itself in his own head, a companion that was supposed to help him. Church isn't even Church, he's a fracture, a shard that the original AI, Tucker's Church, created during the torture he endured to shed the memories of the experience. And no ones really sure about what happened to Carolina besides Church, but from the way she'll start talking to someone who isn't there and looking around confused before shutting down, it's pretty obvious that she lost someone close. Maybe even many someones.

Right as Tucker's thoughts begin to spiral down into dark places about his lost loved ones, his son Junior at the forefront of his mind, Washington entered the room with a noise here and there to alert Tucker to his presence.

Shrill shrieks, genuine laughter, and booming nonsense that echo across the mountainside act as an ice breaker for duo. Sounds like he found Church.

"It good to see Caboose acting like himself again." Washington's attempt at conversation falls flat when all he gets in response is positive grunt from his Aqua counterpart. Tucker to his credit, becomes increasingly interested with the pile of rumble he's searching the closer Washington becomes.

"So, you led the "rescue" mission?" He asked, deciding to try again. He pockets his pistol to help Tucker look among the pile. Tucker glanced over at the grey and yellow armored soldier for a moment before moving over to the opposing side of the rumble to continuing the search. He realizes his mistake too late when he looks up to be staring directly into his leader's visor.

"Yeah well, you weren't exactly around anymore to lead blue team so someone had to step up and it sure as hell wasn't going to be Caboose."

It was all a lie, Red team and Blue team. They were cannon fodder. Target practice for the Freelancers. The Director manufactured the Red vs Blue war and used the worst soldiers that humanity could offer to do it, all so that he could train his precious Freelancers. Look at how well that turned out.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Washington asks, the bite to his words not lost on Tucker, especially when his stance becomes defensive. Back straight, arms crossed, and only one step from a fighting stance. He took all of this in and continued anyway.

"It means that you left us! You left us for months! We thought you were going to die! We thought they were torturing you! That we would finally catch up only to find you FUCKING DEAD!"

"Well what do you want me to say? That I'm sorry?! That protecting our friends was the wrong choice?! I'm not going to just stand aside and watch my team die again Tucker! I can't! Besides I can take care of myself!"

_Tucker ran back to the battle with Lopez in tow, taking out only a few of the endless federal soldiers as they went._

_Freckles' shields should be replenishing now that Tucker stopped the download at Red base that was sucking all of their power. This means that despite their significant lack of back-up, at least they have their military class assault droid to hold off the hoard._

_They pass the mine field that Simmons had set up, Lopez 2.0's battered shell rests in the middle of it, with little thought. It had taken control of the other assault droid and attacked the camp with the intent of obliterating the Red and Blue collective. Thankfully Freckles stepped in and held it off long enough for them to come up with a plan; One that involved a teleportation cube, Donut's legendary throwing arm, and the mine field. Despite how well the prelude went before the actual fight, Freckles was now operating at half capacity at best and low energy._

_But that's how it's always been when going into battle for them; under-armed against overwhelming odds._

_"¡Que se vayan. Había suficientes idiotas en este cañón sin él aquí." Lopez kicked a piece of his replacement a fair distance as they ran past. Distaste colored his voice, so Tucker was able to infer what he was saying pretty easily._

_"You got that right Lopez."_

_They came up to the battle field to find a truly amazing sight._

_Sarge stood out in the open on top of some crates to the right of the barricade they were using for cover to use his shotgun more efficiently. Thankfully, it appeared as though Grif and Simmons were taking out anyone who paid him too much attention. Caboose was simply ducking, not shooting, but it was probably for the best given his tendency to team kill. Washington stood tall acting as a pillar to the men he led in battle, taking the left side of the barricade. With Freckles covering the back wall, they had received their second wind. They were pushing the Federal army back. If they could just get them back through the caves they could collapse the tunnel's entrances and win the day. Sensing this, Washington called out one last order._

_"Alright, everyone together now we can do this!" Tucker felt hope rise in his chest. Yes, they can do this. Only fifty yards or so to go and then he and Lopez can join the battle and help win this. They can actually win!_

_"No, you can't."_

_A shot fired from somewhere along one of the canyon walls hit Washington squared in the left side taking him down._

_"Oh no!"_

_"Wash!"_

_And that's when everything fell apart._

"I'm not asking you to Washington! I just want you to stop acting like you're expendable! You're family too dammit! So get over yourself and act like it!"

"...What?" Washington stood still in shock. He tried to process the fact that Tucker, of all people, considered him family. He wondered how many others held the same belief. How long had it been since their interactions had gone from simply two forces working towards a common goal to a family. Unlike his last family, this one showed love in a way he was unfamiliar with. Angry words and snide comments masked kinder meanings. Stealing was sharing. Ignorance stood in place of attention. Arguments were just another way of saying I love you.

As time wore on he realized just how close he and Tucker were now standing, mere feet apart from one another. Tucker's hands, once up in the air in exasperation, were now clenched at his sides, face down, body ridged. He appeared as though he was building up to something, a confession though, was unexpected.

"I, fuck, I need you Wash. I can't lose you, not again. Not you, not Church, not Caboose, not the Reds, not anyone. I can't do it. I keep thinking back to that day, wondering if I could have done something different. I keep getting these fucking nightmares.... I-I'm so fucking sick of it!" The pile of rumble clatters to the floor, Tucker's fist hanging in the air where it had been moments ago. His breath is ragged, choked.

_"Look, as long as I'm leader of this team I will do everything in my power to ensure your safety whether you like it or not."_

_"Why do you refuse to take these things seriously?"_

_"I'm trying to make sure you're the best, that you're ready for anything!"_

 

"Tucker I-"

"No!" He shakes his head, "No I don't want to hear it! I care about you damnit! And you know what- shit, fuck it." Washington watched with concern hidden in his features behind his helmet as Tucker reached up to remove his own. Without the barrier Washington could now see the tears pooling in his eyes, the determination, sadness, fear and some unknown emotion clear as day. Washington recognizes that now is the worst time to be taking ones helmet off given all the people who want them dead but he could also see that whatever Tucker was going to say had been eating at him, so instead he settled for turning his trackers on to make sure nothing snuck up on them.

"I - I don't know if it's love or what, but seeing you hurt, seeing you not moving, I couldn't breath, I couldn't think. And yeah, I've felt that way before when the others are hurt and shit but with you it _hurt_. And while I don't know what this is as of now, I want to find out which means that you, you fucker," and here Tucker's posture changed, extruding confidence and pointed a finger at Washington, "are going to stay alive so that I can do that and don't have to mourn your dumb ass. Got it?"

Washington nodded, and then, deciding to take it one step further, closed the distance between himself and Tucker and hugged him as tightly as he could. The helmet fell out of Tucker's hand when the shock of what was happening hit him before he relaxed into it and gave back just as good.

"I'd like that." Washington said, just for good measure. They stood there for who knows how long, just basking in the presence of the other, before Caboose appeared next to them without warning. They jumped apart, both letting out a startled scream.

"Agent Washington! Tucker!"

"What?! Where - how?!" Washington cried in a high pitched voice, double checking his trackers to see if they had picked up anything. And just like that the moment was broken. Tucker collapsed to the floor in laughter while Washington continued looking at Caboose as though he had grown three heads, not that he could see. Caboose kept talking as though he'd never been interrupted.

"We found the spikey balls, so you can come back now!"

"Yeah thanks Caboose," Tucker wheezed out, "we'll be there in a sec." He sat up and pulled his helmet over to put it back on. Washington found that he quite liked watching Tucker laugh like that and made sure to file that information away for later. He stretched out a hand to him and helped him up. They shared a look despite the helmets; not unlike two other "friends" in the canyon, before moving to follow their boisterous teammate. And well, if they stood a bit closer than before while Grif presented the future cubes to the group, nobody said anything.


End file.
